


Don't Leave Me Alone

by delible_ink



Series: Clayleb Week 2019 [2]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Battle Couple, Caleb has feelings, Canon-Typical Violence, Claylebweek2019, Developing Relationship, M/M, New Relationship, clayleb - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-06
Updated: 2019-11-06
Packaged: 2021-01-24 01:38:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21330133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/delible_ink/pseuds/delible_ink
Summary: Day 2 prompt: Revolution--serving life/battle coupleWho'd have expected a place to sleep would turn into a dungeon crawl? An ill advised adventure, and a happy ending.
Relationships: Caduceus Clay/Caleb Widogast
Series: Clayleb Week 2019 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1536221
Comments: 2
Kudos: 56





	Don't Leave Me Alone

"Stay together. I have a feeling this is the last place we want to get separated." Fjord called behind him to the rest of the group. Nott scouted beside him, having cracked the lock that opened the door into the next room. 

The Mighty Nein had planned to shelter in these caves for the night when Caleb noticed a strange door hidden in the rock. Upon inspection, runes glowed blue, and he though he was cautious about their cryptic meaning, he couldn't help but follow his curiosity._ Besides, _ he thought, _ we need to know what is in here if we are going to try to sleep next to it. _

That had been an hour and forty-seven minutes ago.The stone opening had closed behind them, and Caleb was kicking himself for his damned curiosity.They'd already passed through what seemed to be some kind of gem mine, and into a marble hall that had strange constructions along the outer walls. They seemed like beds, though it was agreed to avoid trying to sleep in one. This room contained arrows firing from the pillars, a jar that when tipped released a poison gas, and several loose floor tiles that crumbled to reveal a pit of spikes. Now they found themselves in some sort of treasury. It had been well guarded, even better than the room previous, but lucky for them Nott was sober enough to check for traps.

Caleb looked up at Caduceus, who had not-so-subtly slipped to the back where Caleb usually took point. 

"There's something back there. I don't like it. Something dead that hasn't been allowed to sleep." Cad's voice was cold, and his eyes darkened. He was staring back into the marble hall.

"Should we leave?" Caleb surreptitiously took Caduceus' hand. He still felt secretive about their relationship. He felt as if keeping it quiet could protect what they had, but he had picked up almost immediately on how physical affection gave Caduceus comfort, and that was more important. Cad's eyes cleared and he wrapped his fingers around Caleb's. 

"No. Whatever's down here, I want to put it to rest. Properly. Besides, I don’t think we can."

"There’s another door here! Look!" Nott screeched in gravelly delight. Another door, hidden in the wall, with a singular lock that their resident rogue (with some help from Jester) was managing admirably to pick.

A hiss of air signalled the release as the stone wall slid open. Caleb and Caduceus at the rear, the party filed in. But as soon as the first of them were over the threshold, something went wrong.

Caleb sensed magic on the other side of the door, and Caduceus turned behind them where something was moving in the marble hall. The door forward slammed shut, cutting Caleb and Caduceus off from the rest of the party. Caleb banged on the stone, a smooth wall once again, in sheer panic.

"NOTT! NOTT THE BRAVE, ANSWER ME! _ SCHEIßE." _

"Mr. Caleb…" Cad's voice was soft and uneasy. Caleb turned to look at him but his eyes were fixed in the opposite direction. "I think we have our own problems."

Shambling towards them was a hoard of mummified corpses. Their bodies were wraithish, in varied states of decay, and there were dozens of them. From the other side of the stone wall behind them, they heard a horrific scream, something otherworldly and utterly chilling.

"Stay behind me." Cad growled, and Caleb made no move to argue it, other than to fling a fireball towards the first wave. 

The fire worked better than Caleb had hoped, and for a while, he and Caduceus were holding their own, but Caleb but he feared it wouldn’t be enough. They hadn’t planned on seeing any battle today. Caduceus hadn’t prepared much in the way of attacks, and Caleb’s fire was running out. He was beginning to wish he hadn’t given Fjord his Glove of Blasting. Then again, whatever was happening on the other side of that wall, Fjord might need it.

Caleb’s mind was racing. This was foolish. Why couldn’t he just leave well enough alone? It was his fault they were trapped in here. 

Six of the necrotic nightmares encircled Caleb as his frustration mounted. He felt his vision swim and cloud with fear, and then his head cleared, just in time to see Caduceus’ hand extended towards him, igniting with pale green energy as fey spirits sprang towards Caleb, devouring the charring remains of the mummified creatures Caleb was fighting, just in time for him to watch the last of the hoard fall on Caduceus.

“Cad--NO!” Caleb’s screams tore his throat as he hurled scorching rays at the creatures, making quick work of their much damaged bodies--but he was too late. He watched in horror as Caduceus fell. Using the last of his spells, Caleb sent up a wall of fire between Caduceus and the marble hall behind them. If there were more, this would buy them time. 

Caleb tried to haul Caduceus’ limp body away from the flames and the burning bodies of the mummies. He could not hear anything from the room beyond, or the room behind him.

_ “Nein! Nein nein nein nein, bitte! Caduceus, bitte, laß mich nicht allein!” _

The armor was too heavy for Caleb to move Caduceus so he unbuckled the breastplate and threw it aside, discovering underneath it a faint, beating glow. _ The periapt. _ Caleb gasped, and clutched the thing in his hand, his fist pressing hard against Cad’s chest.

_ It worked. Now hold on, Caduceus. Please, hold on. _Caleb begged internally as he reached into his coat and retrieved a healing potion.

“_ Trink-- _ Drink it. Caduceus... _ Bitte.” _

Caleb worked his jaw open, and tipped the potion into his mouth. For a moment nothing happened. No swallow. No change. Shallow breath, and nothing more.

Caleb Widogast was alone, surrounded by a wall of fire, holding the body of the man he loved. He hadn’t told him. It was the wrong time, too early, or he was too scared, and now, because of his foolishness, his stupid curiosity, his selfish ambition, he never would.

Caleb pressed his lips to Caduceus’ forehead, as silent tears ran down his face. 

“_ Was habe ich getan?” _

Something stirred, a convulsion, and then a cough. Spluttering and trying to swallow the potion, Caduceus grabbed a fistfull of Caleb’s shirt. Cad didn’t let go, even when he caught his breath.

“Hey…” His voice was soft as if far away, but his eyes searched for Caleb. “Hey. I was wondering where you went.”

“Cad—” Caleb grabbed his face with both hands and kissed him soundly. “Caduceus I thought I lost you.”

“Caduceus reached for the pendant around his neck “You made sure you wouldn’t. Remember? I’m here. I’m here Caleb.”

Caleb covered Caduceus’ hand around pendant with his own, and cradled Caduceus’ body in his lap. “Then I won’t let you go.” Caleb brought Cad’s lips to his own, and kissed him as if he were the very air he breathed.

On the far side of the room, the wall swung open, and the Mighty Nein, looking worse for wear but laden with treasure, crowded the entrance. 

“Hey are you guys okay? We just fought this craaaaazy mummy dude, and he’d hit people and I couldn’t heal them, and he had all these crazy curses, but then Yasha beat him to a pulp and Fjord set his heart on fire, and look! We got all this cool stuff! And--” Jester was talking a mile a minute until Nott put her hand out to stop her.

Beau grinned at the scene in front of them, but only because Caleb couldn’t see her. “Yeah, Jess. I think they’re okay.”

**Author's Note:**

> Just BARELY getting this in on time for the day, at least as far as my clock goes, but I had a lot of fun writing it! I am a sucker for the "I thought you died" trope, and I refuse to feel shame about it. Enjoy!
> 
> Zemnian Notes:  
bitte, laß mich nicht allein! -- please don't leave me  
“Was habe ich getan?” -- what have I done
> 
> DM Notes:  
Cad & Caleb fought a mummy hoard, while everyone else was fighting a mummy lord. Mummy's curse means you can't regain hit points until either the mummy lord is killed, or someone casts "remove curse." Hence the delay in healing potion working. Periapt prevented the potential instant dust-death. (Might have fudged the rules on that a little.)


End file.
